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Poompuhar Blog

We all are huge fans of this beautiful and subtle art form which is known as Meenakari. It is one of the very old and distinguished art forms of the Indian culture and tradition which is famous for its exclusive designs.

Meenakari is basically an enamelling of metals. It is the specialty of ornamenting and enamelling metal surfaces by painting and enriching them with beautiful designs, and after that, they are heated in the Klein to give them a required shape. The heating process helps in hardening the colours and fusing the metal. It is an ancient art form which is passed from one generation to the other. Hence not only we Indians like Meenakari designs and works, but the demand of these products is high in the global market too.

Meenakari is not actually an Indian art form as it is Persian art which was brought to India by the Persian enamellists in the 17th century when Mughals were ruling the country.

Meena or Mina is known as the feminine form of the Persian word “Minoo” which means heaven, and it signifies the purplish blue shade of paradise.

The art of meenakari looks best on gold metal because gold has a natural sheen. This helps the natural colours of meenakari to set beautifully in the metal as it also holds the enamel wonderfully and also adds a sparkle in the same.

Do you know that the colours of the meenakari work can be cleansed through a mixture of lemon and tamarind? Well yes, it helps in cleaning the colours of the art piece naturally and also preserves its natural look and texture.

Besides jewellery, Meenakari is also being used in crafting the designs of jewellery boxes, gods’ idols, crockery, trays, cupboards, bowls, sculptures, paintings and many more things. Hence the modern form of this traditional art has a very vast scope and is not limited to one particular area or region.

At first, Meenakari was only done on gold, but now silver and copper are also being used for creating it.. While gold is mainly used for designing Meenakari jewellery, silver and copper are used for bowls, spoons, brightening ancient rarities, icons, sculptures, etc. The remains of Mughal era show the signs of meenakari on hookahs and paan-daan (traditional boxes for keeping betel leaves) too.

There are mainly 3 types of Meenakari: “Ek Rang Khula Meena” in which only one color is used to engrave the piece of metal, “Panch Rangi Meena” in which 5 primary colours are used which are white, light blue, green, dark blue and red, and “Gulabi Meena” in which rose pink is used. Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh is renowned for gulabi meena works.

Artisans at Poompuhar produce Meenakari handicrafts combining traditional techniques with modern ideas. Visit the Poompuhar e-commerce website to view our collection of Meenakari products and get them delivered at your home.

The Ecotourism Policy 2017 of Tamil Nadu Government was devised to ensure the promotion of eco-friendly activities in the state and bring about the development and prosperity of the natives of the state. According to the policy, emphasis will be laid on the local communities, conservation of their craft making skills, and empower and develop the same.

The policy includes consideration and working for the promotion of trekking, hiking, bird watching trails, photography, wildlife sighting, boating, promoting local festivals, craft making, preservation of traditional craft making methods, local handicrafts, and adventure sports. In addition to these, other aspects that are necessary from the perspective of preserving the existing old methods and traditions will be also considered under the policy.

Following are the objectives of the Ecotourism Policy by Tamil Nadu Government:

To identify natural areas and take necessary steps to develop them as ecotourism destinations.

To create more and better livelihood opportunities to benefit the local communities and tribes.

To foster natural conservation by means of education, and awareness among the visitors of the state.

To work for the conservation of the existing craft making techniques.

To bring about and implement site specific instructions and code of conduct for the visitors

To promote and establish eco-friendly structures in the state.

Following are the guidelines of the policy:

The eco-friendly activities must involve active participation of local communities to empower them and bring about their social development.

All the resources must be utilized aptly to avoid the wastage of the same. The devised methods should not have any adverse impact on the environment. Sites with low ecotourism potential must be recognized and adequate measures should be taken to develop them.

Ecotourism sites can be used for the conservation and promotion of unique cultural practices, traditions, local arts, folk history, and architecture. These things are important to preserve and maintain the indigenous environment of the state.

All the activities happening in the state in the name of ecotourism must conform with the several existing laws of the state.

All the ecotourism related work should involve participation from local communities, government organizations, NGOs, tour operators & agents, and hospitality industry.

The Forest Department of the state is the nodal authority to ensure the implementation of the policy. The State Ecotourism Board shall take the necessary steps to promote both nature and culture based tourism. The board is also responsible for ensuring the involvement and upliftment of local communities.

We all are well aware about the usage of jute bags and jute material these days. Some of you must be thinking that it is some trend of the time to use jute. Well, more than the trend, it’s the need of the hour: jute is an ideal material to replace plastic and curb pollution.

What is Jute?

Jute is known as a natural and strongest fiber of the world. It is mainly found and produced in Bengal area that includes the region of India and Bangladesh. The plant of jute grows fully within 5-7 months. It is a flowering plant which grows around 1-4 meters in length. Jute is mainly used to produce ropes, bags, clothes, paintings, file covers, carpets, and accessories like hair clips, hair bands, bracelets, and many more.

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Let’s discuss the usage and benefits of jute material:

It is a natural plant fiber which can be developed and reaped again and again with next to no water required. In this time of water preservation, this is an excellent material for our planet.

Jute can be grown with next to no need of synthetic help with the type of compost, herbicide or pesticide, which implies less synthetic substances are discharged into the soil.

Jute growing season is around 100 days, providing a good turnover and a steady supply of more fiber.

A study reveals that one hectare of jute plants can ingest up to 15 tons of carbon dioxide, an ozone-depleting substance, and discharge as much as 11 tons of oxygen amid the developing season.

Jute also helps in renewing the soil supplements and lessens the danger of vermin and sickness, so when crops are turned after jute has been gathered, future plants will be in a healthier environment.

There is next to no cost with regards to developing jute since the plant does not require much in the method for manures, pesticides and such, and a little region can turn out a considerable measure of harvest, so jute is ordinarily a production yield and can be extremely cost effective too.

As described that jute is a natural fiber which makes it a biodegradable element too, so once it has filled its need it can be treated with soil, or if it winds up in a landfill, it will generally break down with no side effects on the environment.

Jute is the fiber which is very comfortable to use like cotton substance. Hence it can also be used for clothing as the material is reusable and provides comfort too.

Keeping these benefits in mind, Poompuhar offers a variety of jute products to help the environment. Poompuhar is one of the leading manufacturers of jute products in India – a brand which is established under the Tamil Nadu government and is known to promote the quality handicraft work by artisans.

Art is the perfect way of depicting the exchange of emotions within and across the frontiers of a nation. Our rich history has been promulgating the importance of ancient Indian handicrafts since ages. The essence of handicrafts is engineered by the artisans who create it with their innovation. It is this rich Indian heritage which connects India with the western world. Today, there are numerous such platforms which provide the desired opportunity to the local artisans. India is a hub for such platforms promoting the rural Indian handicrafts.

A platform to connect the local rural artisans with the global population is today known by the name Poompuhar. Poompuhar represents the sophistication of Indian culture, customs and traditions through the handicraft products. Empowering the local rural artisans to exhibit their talent before the world was the aim behind the launch of Poompuhar platform. Realising the importance of bringing rural women ahead and engaging them in creating masterpieces is the motto behind Poompuhars Empowering women initiative.

Poompuhar is a government of Tamil Nadu undertaking to exhibit Indian artefacts, cultures and tradition. The Poompuhar team believes in empowering rural India to facilitate the local artisans to earn a decent living. Art is the necessity of life, and so Poompuhar decided to move ahead with this section to exhibit the talent possessed by Indian artisans. Providing a right platform to these rural artisans was need of the hour.

Poompuhar redefines the beauty of the creative genius of the local artisans. Timely, the training sessions are organised by Poompuhar team to train the rural artisans. The training sessions are meant to nourish the creativity possessed by the artisans. Each artisan is nurtured with the right skills to highlight their talent and earn a respectable living to support his family. The pieces of training are arranged to introduce the handicraft creation technique for the rural Indians and bring out the best in them. It is meant to boost the inner strength of such artisans to make them realise their worth towards the society. Poompuhar team ensures that each of their artisans is trained with personal attention.

Also, to earn a living, Poompuhar thrives in hard to build a sense of trust in these rural artisans, so they shine at their best. Today, after years of massive efforts investment, Poompuhar has come ahead with the exhibits of applique work, garland, bronze, brass, brass lamps, wood and stone carvings. Besides, the handicraft product catalogue of Poompuhar exhibits the creative brilliance of Thanjavur paintings, coconut shells, papier machie, kondapalli toys, and other wood, jute and clay creativity.

Now, Poompuhar is indulged in formulating and implementing the rural artisan welfare schemes. The efforts of Poompuhar receives the timely financial assistance from the State Governments. Central Government too appreciates the efforts of Poompuhar, the Tamil Nadu government undertaking and assists it financially to uplift the local creativity of Tamil Nadu.

Moreover, Poompuhar directly connects the local artisans with the global buyers. The annual award competition is the unique felicitation of these local artisans by the Poompuhar team. The annual award competition involves felicitating the local talent with certificates, gold medals and cash prizes for their outstanding contribution.

With the aim of empowering the rural strata of Indian artisans, the government of Tamil Nadu came ahead with a unique platform named Poompuhar. Realising the rising craze of handicrafts in the western world, the Poompuhar team imbibed the core ideas of handicraft training to the rural strata of Indian society. A struggle of about decades has brought Pompuhar to a position where it stands today. Poompuhar is the perfect example of the saying “Effort never dies”.

Empowering rural artisans was the motive which brought to life the lost creativity in this section of society. Firstly, Poompuhar emphasised on educating the locals of Tamil Nadu about the handicraft articles. Slowly the team introduced the locals in the process of creating beautiful handicrafts. The training sessions were conducted under the guidance of trained professionals to promulgate the rising importance of handicraft production and export as a source of living for the rural dependents.

Slowly the rural inhabitants of Tamil Nadu started attending these sessions in huge numbers and gained a thorough understanding of the entire process. The constant and dedicated efforts of the Poompuhar team began owing sweet fruits. Slowly and steadily handicraft production became the identity of locals of Tamil Nadu.

Now with the handicrafts produced by these rural artisans needed a guiding platform to exhibit their creativity. Poompuhar came ahead with a unified solution to connect the artisans with the nation. It also bridged the gap between the local creativity of Tamil Nadu and the western world. Fair trade practice was the prime objective behind the evolution of the online platform of Poompuhar. Today, it exhibits the rich handicrafts crafted by the poor hands. Moreover, one can say, Poompuhar presents the eco-friendly products by nurturing the creativity of these local artisans.

The handmade products or the handicrafts are carved out by human hands. It reduces the consumption of energy involved in the manufacturing of the industrial product. Also, the raw materials included in the production of these handicrafts are majorly planted materials which are sustainably harvested. Pine needles, stone carvings, metals, wood carvings are some of the raw materials employed in the handicraft production.

Handicraft products use is gaining popularity owing to their recyclable materials. As the name suggests, handicrafts are mostly carved out of used materials to raise their allure and worth.

Introducing the eco-friendly gift ideas which bring the creativity and artisanship together

Some of the eco-friendly gift ideas are inclusive of the following:

Applique Thombai

Kalamkari Thombai

SandalWood, Yelaka, and Tanjore Garland

Antique Finished, polished or 3D printed bronze structures

Bowl, Nataraja, Peacock Beed Stone, Uruli and other carved out of Brass

Since decades, the worth of handicrafts has been experiencing exponential growth. India is a land of handicraft artists. Even the western countries have been praising Indian handicraft articles since decades. Handicrafts represent the amalgam of rich heritage, culture and tradition of a nation.

What do you know about handicrafts?

When an artist creates hand-made products, they are referred to as handicrafts. These handicrafts involve the use of small hand-held or portable tools to give rise to a magnificent thing. Handicrafts can be anything. It can be carved out of paper, plant fibres, textiles, fruits and so on. Majorly handicraft products are born and brought up in the rural areas of a country. Rural India is a hub of local artisans involved in creating handicrafts as a living source.

What is the uniqueness of the Poompuhar handicrafts which engages the onlookers in its beauty?

Authenticity: The handicrafts created by the local artisans of Poompuhar represents their ethnic creativity. Poompuhar realised the innovational magic of these local artisans and decided to give them their deserving platform. This initiative from Poompuhar nurtured these local artisans to exhibit the allure of their creativity at their best.

Creativity Genius: Each of the Poompuhar handicraft is the masterpiece brilliance. Moreover, each handicraft differs from other in one aspect or the other. Poompuhar owes its richness as the cluster of best handicraft exporters.

Each handicraft is self-narrative: The beauty of these Poompuhar handicrafts lives in the beauty of their story-telling. Each has got a voice to narrate its own evolution story and mesmerise the onlookers. Poompuhar handicrafts represent the real beauty of India’s rich and sophisticated culture. Poompuhar handicrafts make the best fit for a beautiful gift to your near and dear ones.

Durability:Poompuhar precisely vouches on the sustainability of their handicrafts. Poompuhar handicrafts have a higher demand in the export market. This demand emphasises to produce durable products. All the products promulgated by Poompuhar are carved out of sustainable materials. The durability ensures that the handicrafts are resistant to scratches and corrosion.

Readily available online: With the world going digitised, the craze for online shopping has increased much in the past decade. Internet becomes a convenient place for the buyers as well as the sellers to either exhibit or purchase products at their ease. Poompuhar promotes all their handicraft articles online on their websites. This makes it easier for their users to go through a comparative view of their handicraft product catalogue. Poompuhar website lists every minute detailing of each of the handicraft that enters its online product catalogue. You may find the size, colour, use, and reviews of the products along with their product images. This information availability saves on the time of consumers from purchasing the products through retail shops. Additionally, the Poompuhar website precisely mentions the history of each handicraft creativity. Moreover, the site is easy to navigate and informative with categorically listing of the handicrafts created at Poompuhar.

These are the unique features which make the stands unique in the market.

Gifting articles are the unique way of saying that you matter to me. We all love gifts. Gifts have the edge to turn our sorrows into joys. It does not need a particular moment to gift something to someone. If the person is valuable to you, your choice of gift makes the moment unique for both of you. Gifting articles have no boundaries. Books, watches, products, smartphones, and so on are the common things to gift someone. If you want to gift a real gift to a special person, handicrafts must be your first pick.

Handicrafts are the authentic creation gifted by India to the western world. One can say, handicraft products represents the innovation brilliance of local Indian artisans. It is a minuscule way to connect with India’s rich heritage and culture. Since ancient times, handicraft products have been the centre of attraction and a source for empowering the rural strata of the nation. Here are five nature-friendly gifts you can buy for your loved ones.

Lord Ganesh Panel made from Wooden Carvings: Lord Ganesh is believed to be the symbol of knowledge, intelligence, and wealth. An aesthetic Lord Ganesh panels made out of wood carvings are the perfect fit for your gift article on the auspicious occasions. The Ganesh Panels crafted out of wood carvings are entirely a hand-made product. The carvings of the Ganesh Panels are intricate to raise the overall allure of these auspicious handicrafts. The Ganesh Panels made from the wood carvings are available on Poompuhar. These panels depict a serene portrayal of Lord Ganesh with four hands. One of those four hands is carved out to hold a paasam, whereas the second one contains a mazhu. The panels portray Lord Ganesh in writing pose with a broken tusk.

Papier Mache Dancing Dolls: These papier mache dancing dolls are the unique creativity of the Poompuhar artisans. These dolls are praised worldwide since their evolution in India. The bobbing heads and hips are the reasons why the papier mache dancing dolls stand unique even today. The beautifully crafted papier mache dancing dolls makes a perfect fit to gift the younger generations of the modern era. It introduces and connects them with India’s rich cultural heritage and its historical significance. Above all, the papier mache dancing dolls came to birth about ten centuries ago.

Thanjavur Art Plate Ashtalakshmi: India culture praises Goddess Laxmi as the symbol of wealth and sophisticated lifestyle. Gifting Goddess Laxmi idol reflects the purity of mind and richness of heart. The Thanjavur Art Plate Ashtalakshmi from Poompuhar are available in a broad range of designs and patterns. It represents the ancient creativity with the modern sophistication.

Handcrafted Textile Hand Bags: No other gift holds importance as the handcrafted textile handbags. The Poompuhar witnessed the rising craze for the handcrafted textile handbags both within and across the Indian frontiers and started promulgating the same. These handcrafted textile handbags available at Poompuhar are crafted out of natural fibres. The artisanal creativity genius is reflected through the intricate hand-crafted embroidery which raises the allure of these masterpieces.

Bronze Nataraja from Poompuhar: A Nataraja carved out of bronze metal is the best fit to gift to someone when they enter their new house. Nataraja is the essence of purity and serenity. Lord Shiva in the form of Nataraja is a blend of earthly existence and conscious mind. The bronze Nataraja from Poompuhar is 100% hand-made articles with durable nature and intricate detailing.

Indian handicrafts are as unique as its ancient history and diverse culture. It will not be an exaggeration of the fact that Indian art has emerged as a saviour of nature, tradition and culture since the start of time. One of the recent examples can be of Madhubani art. This art was the reason to put an end to deforestation in Bihar area in 2012, which attracted many tourists by its colourful artwork. This is how art and Indian culture are entangled to each other. The world is also now a supporter of the incredible Indian handicrafts and its popularity is increasing with each day.

Poompuhar is also offering its humble contribution in promoting Indian handicraft on the national and international level. You can just go online and check out our latest collection and help us shop for interesting handicrafts.

With all the modern inventions booming in the field of art and crafts, let us take some time to learn a little about our popular ancient incredible Indian handicraft crafts. Kashmir is popular for its papermache and walnut wood decorative handicraft. Walnut wood crafts are also famous in Kashmir which is generally based on animals. Eco-friendly tribal art in east India is very popular and they use wood, fibres, metal, stones and so on.

Western India offers a large variety of handicrafts such as Textile, Jewellery, carpets, woodwork, Quilts, Marble crafts, Terracotta items, meenakari items and others. South Indian states are known for exotic Bnidri art, statues made of brass or wood, leather work, coconut handicraft and so on. Tanjur paintings exquisitely depict stories and beliefs belonging to various religions such as Hindu, Islam, Jainism, Christianity, Sikhism, and many more which display the real spirit of Indian culture.

Indian art has become popular around the world due to the hard work of the artisans and their handicrafts products. These crafts are handmade, manually engraved and painted, carved and molded by talented artists which makes them unique as well as popular.

Indian art, like the systems of Indian philosophy, was rooted in that truth, and so were Indian music and dance. Together they evolved as related expressions of man’s humanity, symbolized by a tree inverted, whose leaves and branches and fruits are spread upon earth, and its roots in the cosmic space.

Indian handicraft has travelled a long journey to reach where it is today. It is one of the popular choices around the world even after experiencing so many ups and down in the past. The root of Indian handicraft is connected to its rich and diverse culture and traditions. Poompuhar is supporting this heritage by supporting the future of Indian artisans and Indian handicrafts.

Poompuhar originated in 1973 due to the efforts of Tamil Nadu government and is also known as the Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation.

The Corporation supports the various artists who have dedicated their lives to art and crafts and followed their forefathers’ professions. It offers them to earn while focussing on their creativity. Most of the artisans work with stone, clay, brass, wood, silver, gold, cane, ivory, bamboo, cotton, silk and bronze. The corporation is also known as Poompuhar based on an ancient and beautiful coastal city of Tamil Nadu. The Corporation has its presence in various districts of the Tamil Nadu such as Coimbatore, Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Salem, Tirunelveli, and Erode.

The Corporation is known to implement several schemes for the welfare and development of the deteriorating or forgotten groups of crafts

Some of the examples of the crafts that have benefitted are lacquer ware, papermache, mat weaving, and terracotta

They also established general facility units for artisans, also known as, ‘Urban Hatt’ for proper marketing of these crafts

These units are supported financially by the state as well as central government

Poompuhar organize an annual competition to motivate and promote the work of these artisans and offer awards such as a gold medal, certificates or cash prizes to top ten craftsmen

The handicrafts are promoted on the vast Poompuhar network of more than 18 stores

They also organize exhibitions across the nation to maintain a constant income source of these artists

In addition to the above marketing activities, the Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Corporation also owns six production units.

Handicrafts are the items which represent the art, culture, and tradition of a country or a place, created by skilled craftsmen who have years of experience in working with local materials and techniques.

Well, most of us are fond of these handicrafts items and want to use them as a piece of decoration in our office or home. Because they are so beautifully created, they not only enhance the décor of our place but also provide soothing energy to our eyes too.

If you are fond of beautiful handicrafts then Poompuhar showrooms across many cities can offer an authentic selection of products at much reasonable prices. Here we have curated Top five handicrafts items for the week from the exhaustive list of items available at Poompuhar:

Thombai

It is a beautiful handicraft which is mainly used as a piece of decoration in homes, chariots, and temples. Its beautifully created designs usually comprise engraved images of swans, elephants, religious items, flowers, elephants etc. Thombai has a spiritual value too, hence the exclusive color combination used in thombai makes it more appealing and attractive, and thus one can have this item in their house to enhance the beauty or décor of their living area. There are two types of Thombai available with Poompuhar, namely Kalamari and Applique.

Bronze antique products

Bronze antique handicrafts are beautifully created masterpieces which will surely catch your eyes with their finish and beauty. Being items which have a vast historical/ relisious significance these antique idols and sculptures are timeless and invaluable possessions for anyone who buys them.

Brass lamps

If you are fond of lamps, then do pay a visit to the Poompuhar website to treat yourself to a vast collection of beautiful and exclusive designs of brass lamps which are available in all sizes and shapes. Choose from an assortment of standing or hanging lamps, ranging from traditional to modern designs as well as those specially crafted for festivals and celebrations.

Brass bowls are versatile products which can be used for both decoration and storing things. At Poompuhar, brass bowls come in a variety of sizes and shapes along with colourful embellishments to suit your home décor.

We all know the significance and beauty of a Nataraj sculpture and most of us want to have one in our house. Nataraj represents the dance of creation, the dance of destruction, the dance of solace and liberation performed by Lord Shiva. You can buy beautiful statues of dancing Nataraj in antique as well as polished finish from our website.